Birthday cocktails with her 18-year-old daughter and prescription medicine proved the wrong mix for an Angus mum-of-six who ended up in the dock after a brace of assaults on the celebration night out.
Julie McIntosh’s lawyer said the Forfar 40-year-old had taken an extra diazepam pill for “Dutch courage” before heading out for tea-time drinks and getting involved in a bust-up at a town pub followed by a violent fall-out with her ex.
McIntosh, of Peffers Place in Forfar appeared for sentence before Sheriff Jillian Martin Brown having previously admitted assaulting a woman in the Old Mason’s Arms in East High Street on April 28 by punching her head and knocking her to the ground, and assaulting her former partner in Queen Street by scratching his face.
Depute fiscal Stewart Duncan said there had been a commotion in the pub and McIntosh was told she would have to leave the premises but as the woman attempted to pull her away she was struck.
McIntosh was then thrown out of the bar and then became involved in the argument with her ex, leading to the second assault.
Defence solicitor Nick Markowski said McIntosh did not normally drink but had agreed to go out with one of her daughters to celebrate her 18th birthday.
“She agreed to have a cocktail with her, that led to further drinking and they had then gone their separate ways,” said the solicitor.
“They had gone out around five and this all happened around eight o’clock in the Old Mason’s Arms, which is a busy, lively pub.
“Miss McIntosh has very limited recollection but there was a bit of a commotion, she was put out of the pub and her ex then seeks to confront her.
“The complainer in the first charge simply got caught in the crossfire and she is apologetic in that regard.
“I understand she was subsequently assaulted by her ex-partner and he has been prosecuted under separate proceedings,” said Mr Markowski.
Sheriff Martin-Brown said: “In the past six years you have made a number of improvements to your lifestyle and these offences are somewhat out of character.”
McIntosh received a one-year Community Payback Order, including 90 hours of unpaid work.
